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Lola fell silent, and the radiant glow from her hands faded, though its imprint lingered on my retinas for a few minutes. For a long moment, nothing happened. None of us dared so much as breathe as we all stared at Lucille.
Her eyes fluttered open, and the once-wandering gaze now held focus and determination. A newfound clarity shone in their depths. The room felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted, replaced by an aura of hope. Lola’s spell had worked its magic, restoring peace to Lucille’s weary soul.
Lola stumbled, and I grabbed her hand to prevent her from falling. The amount of magic she must have expelled had left her visibly drained. I nudged to the chair near Lucille’s bed, and she sank onto it.
“Tori, can you hand me my bag, please?” Lola’s voice was softer than usual, and she was ghostly pale, the dark smudges under her eyes standing out starkly.
“You’re not planning on doing any more magic tonight, are you?” I asked in disbelief, holding her bag close to my chest.
She snorted. “No, no, I just want the can of Coke. The sugar will help return some of my energy.”
As I handed Lola her bag, Ridge and Lucille’s hushed laughter broke the quiet for a moment. With the room descending into silence once more, Lola’s actions were the only thing that disturbed the calm—the soft pop of her opening the can and the faint sound of her taking small sips.
Lucille spoke first. “I don’t know how to thank you, Lola. After my Vincent died, I became feral. It’s like my wolf makes me shift and disconnect from my emotions whenever she senses something I don’t want to deal with, like my grief.” She stared off into the distance, a faint smile on her lips. “It’s a welcome relief to not feel like I’m on the brink of shifting just from the mere mention of Vince’s name. I’m grateful for whatever you did.”
“I’m happy you’re getting some relief,” Lola said. “The spell has basically put your wolf into an enchanted sleep, so the disease won’t affect your human side as deeply.” Lola lifted the can of Coke and took a long drink. “Unfortunately, it’s not permanent. We will keep working on it, and I’m hopeful that will change. But for now, at least it will give you a break.”
“Lucille? How do you feel?” Ridge asked gently, reaching out to touch his aunt’s hand, then pulling back as if afraid to touch her.
“Better.” Lucille shuffled until she stood at the side of the bed. Her gaze fell on Ridge and me, and she put a hand to her mouth when she saw our mating marks. “How long have I been out? You two have mated!”
“Yes, but it only just happened,” I said with a smile. “ You haven’t missed the wedding. We’re going to make sure you’re well enough to attend,” I added, my voice filled with positivity. Without needing to look at Ridge, or even paying attention to the bond, I knew including his aunt in our wedding was important to him and that he was touched by my efforts. His gratitude reverberated through our bond.
“Congratulations, both of you,” Lucille said, a small smile breaking through her exhaustion. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Ridge said, his voice warm and genuine. “Right now, our main concern is you, Lucille. We want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Ridge is right,” I said, squeezing her hand in support.
“Jaxon...he’s really here?” Lucille asked, relief and fear warring in her eyes. “I thought...I wasn’t sure if he was real or just another nightmare.”
“Jaxon’s alive,” Ridge confirmed, his voice gentle. “He’s just outside the room. But I need to know if you’re afraid of him, Lucille. If you are, I won’t bring him in here.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she shook her head emphatically. “No, I’m not afraid of him,” she said. “I’m afraid of...of how he’ll react when he knows the truth. He deserves to know. Please, Tori, let him in.”
As I turned to leave the room to fetch my father, Lola stood. “I should leave. This is clearly a time for family.”
Ridge and I looked at Lucille. This was her story to tell.
“Please, Lola,” she pleaded. “Seeing how important you are to Ridge and Tori, I welcome you, too, as a member of my family.” Lucille reached out and touched Lola’s arm, looking into her eyes as she did so. “It would be comforting knowing we have some extra witchy backup if my wolf wakes up while I’m talking to Jaxon.”
“Lola, there’s no need for you to leave. You are part of our family,” Ridge echoed, his voice cracking. I knew he was equally anxious as I was about what Lucille needed to tell Jaxon if she felt the need for backup of any kind.
Already on an emotional teeter-totter, all I could do was reach over and pat Lola’s shoulder, giving her an encouraging nod.
Lola looked all of us, as if trying to determine if we were being sincere. She saw something that must have convinced her because she lowered herself back into the chair. “Thank you. I’m grateful to be considered part of such a fine family.”
I left the room to fetch Jaxon, my stomach pulsing with apprehension. He was pacing the corridor, lost in thought. Icalled his name before tapping his arm to catch his attention. “Lucille wants to see you.”
There was a flicker of relief and uncertainty in his eyes as he followed me back inside.
“Lucille!” Jaxon exclaimed, his face filled with genuine surprise as he fumbled for the right words. “If I had known you were still alive...I’m so sorry…I’m so glad to see you.”
“Jaxon.” Lucille’s voice was barely above a whisper and choked with emotion. She looked at him as if she couldn’t quite believe he was really standing there before her.
Jaxon turned to us. “Lucille and Vincent were friends of mine many years ago. They used to visit the Everwood Pack on occasion. When they were captured by hunters along with so many others...I didn’t know what happened to them. I never thought I’d see any of them again.”
The pain in his voice was so intense that it cut through his tough exterior, exposing the deep sorrow of a man who had been stripped of almost everything he held dear. The deep-rooted friendships and unwavering loyalty within a pack must have made the loss of those connections overwhelmingly devastating.
